Dîner des Agrumes

Villa Medici, Rome

Dîner des Agrumes is a culinary and artistic project developed at Villa Medici, home of the French Academy in Rome, in dialogue with the site’s historic citrus heritage.

Since the Renaissance, lemon trees, bitter orange trees, and citrons have been cultivated in the gardens of Villa Medici and praised for their aromatic, culinary, and medicinal qualities. This living legacy formed the foundation of the project and shaped the gastronomic direction of this edition.

The day began with a citrus tasting presented by Todolí Citrus Fundació, conceived by Paolo Rosso as part of his project I Naranzeri. It culminated in a collective dinner where culinary practice, design, and craftsmanship entered into dialogue with the Villa’s architecture and gardens.

For this edition, the gastronomic proposal was led by Alice Héron as cheffe-in-residence, alongside former resident chefs Arturo Franzino and Martin Planchaud, and guest chefs Harry Cummins (La Mercerie, Marseille) and Léonie Augereau. The menu explored citrus as ingredient, memory, and material for experimentation.

The project was developed in close collaboration with artists, designers, and craftspeople. Ceramists Sonia Oet and Jeanne Viviès (Four) created bespoke tableware and decorative elements. Lighting designer Martin Flugelman conceived installations incorporating citrons as lampshades. Laura Vidal and Adele (The Small Group) contributed to the artistic direction and production of the event. Marion Laperche (Marion Lemon Story) also took part in the project with her beautiful agrumes.

Dîner des Agrumes offered a space for shared research and collective creation, where gastronomy engaged with landscape, history, and contemporary practices.